Plans to tunnel under a Stonehenge road as part of a transformation of traffic management around the site have again hit headlines and stirred discussion among our readers. Here we look at some of your responses to Chris Grayling’s £2bn investment scheme.
The transport secretary said the tunnel could enhance the Stonehenge site by removing traffic and the concept has been backed by its custodians, English Heritage and the National Trust. Last year, the historians Dan Snow and Tom Holland attacked the proposals.
Many readers commenting on the story were not sure of the benefits. Here are some of your views – you can get involved in the conversation by clicking on the comments.
‘There is plenty of available land to obviate the need for a tunnel’
‘Go see Stonehenge while it’s still standing I say’
Absolutely insane. Go see Stonehenge while its still standing I say. I note the Tories are happy to spend a bloody fortune doing up their palace of Westminster but are more than happy to put our national heritage site of Stonehenge in serious peril in order to save a few quid. No wonder the Tories love Trump, 'its all about the money...money...money'.
‘Maybe if they introduced a £5 toll that would make people think twice’
I lived about 3 miles from Stonehenge for about a decade. I have to say I find this deeply disappointing news. The delays were long - but only now and then. Certainly it was easy enough to avoid but only laziness on the part of the car user prevents them finding an alternate route (M4 for example or other routes closer to Salisbury) and obviously a great number of minor roads in the vicinity.
However the incredible cost and impact on the local environment in the Amesbury region is significant. Maybe if they introduced a £5 toll that would make people think twice about travelling down the A303 in peak hours.
‘There shouldn’t really be a road in this area; the entire valley is filled with various barrows, earthworks and other ancient structures’
My opinion was that it would be cheaper and more efficient to redirect the A303 between Amesbury and the roundabout with the A360. There shouldn't really be a road in this area; the entire valley is filled with various barrows, earthworks and other ancient structures. Yes, journeys will be made slightly longer by doing this, but we'll be protecting some of the most ancient structures in Britain. We should not demolish our heritage for the sake of getting to work 5 minutes quicker.
‘Where will it end?’
The A303 how it currently stands is marvellous. The most interesting long distance route in the country. Leave it how it is.
The last thing that is needed is for more traffic (including freight traffic) to be encouraged onto the M3/A303/A30 route to Devon and Cornwall.
If the Stonehenge bit is sorted, it will put more pressures on Wylye, Chicklade, Sparkford. Sort those bottlenecks and it will just place more pressures on the A358 and the Blackdown Hills. Sort those bottlenecks and it will just place more pressures on the M5 south of Taunton and impact on the nationally designated Blackdown Hills AONB.
Where will it end? A still full M4/M5 route. A doomed M3/A303/A30 route, with the Blackdown Hills even more screwed. And an even more buggered south coast A31/A35 route as people look for alternatives to get the the South West. It's anachronistic 20th Century thinking at its worst.
‘If English Heritage and the National Trust back it what’s the problem?’
If English Heritage and the National Trust back it what's the problem? I would think as long as they employ the best engineers to ensure that the site is not damaged or spoilt by neither the building or the subsequent traffic then fine. Problem is will a government who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing do that?
‘A complete violation of the land under one of the most important sacred sites in Britain’
This is a complete violation of the land under one of the most important sacred sites in Britain. It is a tragedy.
And why? In order to cut minutes off a road journey. A pathetic waste of money; but also a clear indicator of how our government know the price of everything and the value of nothing. It is the complete opposite of protecting and honouring our heritage. It is allowing the capitalist culture to destroy everything we hold dear.
It seems nothing is sacred.
This is just as bad, if not worse, than fracking under Sherwood Forest.
It would be interesting to know how much money the contractor has donated to the Tories.
We all know that English Heritage only care about visitor numbers and profits at Stonehenge. But the National Trust? I had thought better of you. Have you got your noses in the corporate trough, or are you just selling out?
Either way, I am cancelling my NT membership today.
‘The site has already been partially ruined by the ugliest, most hideous “visitor centre”’
The site has already been partially ruined (but thankfully a reasonable distance away) by the ugliest, most hideous "visitor centre" (£27 million) perhaps ever designed. Similar visitor centres have ruined many other UK heritage sites, including the Needles and Land's End. Most of these ghastly places are corporatised money spinners and do precisely nothing to enhance or enlighten anyone. If you want to research a site all you have to do is google it and all the info you could possibly want is available.
‘People bemoaning this should take a look at the Devil’s Punch Bowl scheme’
People bemoaning this should take a look at the scheme which was undertaken on the A3 a few years back around Devil's Punch Bowl - an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The tunnel (which was supported by the National Trust) has resulted it traffic being removed from the immediate area and a restoration of some of the landscape.
‘Tom Holland and Dan Snow are not “experts”. They are historians, not archaeologists. UNESCO is supportive.’
Tom Holland and Dan Snow are not "experts". They are historians, not archaeologists. UNESCO is supportive. The National Trust and the Council for British Archaeology are broadly supportive, although they say the tunnel should be longer. Why doesn't the article mention this?
‘The tunnel won’t, of course, go directly under the stones’
Yet another totally misleading headline from the Guardian.
Despite the many idiotic comments below, the tunnel won't, of course, go directly under the stones. Could you people really be so stupid as to believe that is what they would do?
As far as I am aware, it will go underneath or very close to the current A303 route and will eventually restore much peace and tranquillity to the area.
‘I am willing to listen to the archaelogists’
You've missed the point. The whole area is replete with ancient artifacts and eveidence of history, above and below ground. I don't know much about all this but I am willing to listen to the archaelogists who do...
Surely boring a tunnel is rather like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut isn't it? There is plenty of available land to obviate the need for a tunnel. If the idea is to obscure the view of the monument to deter gawkers and accidents then sure a high fence or embankment would be a better and cheaper option. Totally OTT.